Texas Code of Criminal Procedure

§ 1.051 — RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION BY COUNSEL

CR § 1.051Title 1. CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE · Ch. 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Statute text

(a)A defendant in a criminal matter is entitled to be represented by counsel in an adversarial judicial proceeding. The right to be represented by counsel includes the right to consult in private with counsel sufficiently in advance of a proceeding to allow adequate preparation for the proceeding.

(b)For the purposes of this article and Articles 26.04 and 26.05 of this code, "indigent" means a person who is not financially able to employ counsel.

(c)An indigent defendant is entitled to have an attorney appointed to represent him in any adversary judicial proceeding that may result in punishment by confinement and in any other criminal proceeding if the court concludes that the interests of justice require representation. Subject to Subsection (c-1), if an indigent defendant is entitled to and requests appointed counsel and if adversarial judicial proceedings have been initiated against the defendant, a court or the courts' designee authorized under Article 26.04 to appoint counsel for indigent defendants in the county in which the defendant is arrested shall appoint counsel as soon as possible, but not later than:

(1)the end of the third working day after the date on which the court or the courts' designee receives the defendant's request for appointment of counsel, if the defendant is arrested in a county with a population of less than 250,000; or

(2)the end of the first working day after the date on which the court or the courts' designee receives the defendant's request for appointment of counsel, if the defendant is arrested in a county with a population of 250,000 or more. (c-1) If an indigent defendant is arrested under a warrant issued in a county other than the county in which the arrest was made and the defendant is entitled to and requests appointed counsel, a court or the courts' designee authorized under Article 26.04 to appoint counsel for indigent defendants in the county that issued the warrant shall appoint counsel within the periods prescribed by Subsection (c), regardless of whether the defendant is present within the county issuing the warrant and even if adversarial judicial proceedings have not yet been initiated against the defendant in the county issuing the warrant. However, if the defendant has not been transferred or released into the custody of the county issuing the warrant before the 11th day after the date of the arrest and if counsel has not otherwise been appointed for the defendant in the arresting county under this article, a court or the courts' designee authorized under Article 26.04 to appoint counsel for indigent defendants in the arresting county immediately shall appoint counsel to represent the defendant in any matter under Chapter 11 or 17, regardless of whether adversarial judicial proceedings have been initiated against the defendant in the arresting county. If counsel is appointed for the defendant in the arresting county as required by this subsection, the arresting county may seek from the county that issued the warrant reimbursement for the actual costs paid by the arresting county for the appointed counsel.

(d)An eligible indigent defendant is entitled to have the trial court appoint an attorney to represent him in the following appellate and postconviction habeas corpus matters:

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Legislative history

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 463 (H.B. 1178), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 858 (S.B. 1517), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.